His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Lord Janvrin Excerpts

Monday 12th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Janvrin (CB)]

My Lords, I join others in expressing, here in this House, my deepest condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family on the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. As perhaps many of us know at first hand, however prepared we think we are for a loss such as this, the shock of bereavement is acute.

So much has been said and written about Prince Philip in these past few days. To the surprise of some—it is a revelation to many—we see an affectionate and more rounded picture of this extraordinary man. He would perhaps have raised that quizzical eyebrow of his at the praise he is receiving, but he deserves every word of it.

Plenty has rightly been made of the way he defined his role in those early years as the restless and hyperactive innovator driven by his passions, the creator of his ground-breaking award scheme, the conservationist so far ahead of his time, the advocate for engineering, design and technology, and the convenor for his growing interest in faith, religion and philosophy. He was a philanthropic entrepreneur long before we knew what those were.

Less has perhaps been made of Prince Philip in his middle years, as the innovator gave way to the consolidator at home, across the Commonwealth and more widely. He remained a constant and very visible supporter of our armed services and those of the realms. He arranged the seamless succession of Prince Edward to lead the international award scheme. He tirelessly supported the WWF’s increasing global agenda until he stepped down as international president at the age of 75. He helped to set up the Royal Academy of Engineering. He encouraged interfaith dialogue on conservation through the Assisi declarations.

These are all major achievements in themselves, but he never let these passions get in the way of what he so clearly saw as his primary duty: to support the Queen. He knew, as did the Queen, that he was in a unique position to offer support by being totally honest, straightforward and, if necessary, critical in a way that nobody else could.

Day after day, year after year, he was a willing and accomplished part of that royal double act at public events and engagements here and around the world, working a room, greeting another line-up or meeting people on walkabouts. At the same time, the Queen looked to him to give a lead on family matters, to advise, to cajole, to dispute and to reconcile, as families do. Above all, he was an advocate for and a believer in change. He recognised that the monarchy has constantly to evolve. In the early years he drove this himself, and later in life he was a source of much guidance and advice.

Like many British institutions, the monarchy might sometimes seem difficult to explain. That it continues to inspire trust, loyalty and affection is founded on the Royal Family’s ability to make a clear contribution to the life of our nation, adapting with the years. Throughout this long reign—through times of unparalleled political, economic, social and cultural change—the Queen, anchored in her faith, has by example gently reminded us of the values of courage and humility, of service and duty, of continuity and change. We can never know the true extent of the support she has been given by Prince Philip, either directly at her side or through the breadth of his own contribution, but it has without doubt been immense. History will judge him very kindly.